[Suggestion] Stacking Multiple Mana Cost Reduction Issues

from Elemental Forums

[Edit] It turns out to be a combination of various items, traits and spells that is making it free.  The following post has some potentially good suggestions.  One of my own is that I think Mantle should have an upkeep cost of per turn, at least one mana, but I think up to 5 mana would still be balanced if you were fighting regularly.  Right now it's a no-brainer to cast it on every hero you own as soon as you get someone to Water Mage IV. A second idea would be to stay with the additive reductions but cap it at -75%.

If I cast Mantle of the Ocean, spells become free or almost free.  Blizzard costs 1 mana, Mass Curse is free.  Most are free honestly.  I have uploaded a saved game to my dropbox for your perusal.

Cancel Mantle, fight, spells are normal.  Cast Mantle, fight, spells are free.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/59771612/Broken%20Mana.EleSav

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- Issue #10

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Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

I loaded your save too look at it. Looks like spells are free because the reductions stack additively.

-50% mantle of oceans

-25% path of the mage

-20% mage robes

 

This is -95% reduction in mana costs. So blizzard goes from 30 mana to 1.5 mana, which it rounds down to 1. Mass curse goes to .75 which rounds down to nothing. You can actually get this entirely to zero with the trait Affinity (-25%), path of mage (-25%), and Mantle of Oceans. Completely eliminates the need for robes or items at all.

So I'd say not a bug, only a design decision. Perhaps some of the reductions should stack multiplicatively? Maybe all item benefits should add, and be multiplied by the sum of spell benefits, and multiplied by the sum of all trait benefits?

In that case, the affinity + mage + oceans becomes (1-(0.25+0.25))*(1-0.50) = 25% cost spells

and your case of mage + robes + oceans becomes (1-0.25)*(1-0.20)*(1-0.50) = 30% cost spells

Both are still pretty sweet, and 'free' should be unobtainable with the traits, items, and spells currently in the game. Plus would open up the idea of traits or items or spells that reduce the use of specific spells, possibly allowing a full 100% reduction to be reached.

Reply #2 from Elemental Forums Top

Good catch, I missed it.

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Reply #3 from Elemental Forums Top

Have the same thing in my game, although, in my game Mantle isn't reducing the cost of my sovereigns spells, only the first hero I cast it on. 

Reply #4 from Elemental Forums Top

I noticed this bug in my second play day.

 

In addition to it being a bug that allows spells to cost 0 mana, spell Mantle of Oceans is way to OP as it is. It needs a mana cost per turn and should not reduce cost by 50%. 25% tops for 1 mana upkeep. .